There are a few players on the Sacramento Kings’ roster who have been more scrutinized over the last season and a half than Justin Jackson.
For many Sacramento Kings fans, Justin “JJ” Jackson is an unfortunate stop-gap and one of the very few options available to play small forward until Sacramento inevitably upgrades their weakest position. Jackson splits time with Bogdan Bogdanovic and Iman Shumpert at the three, both of whom are playing out of their natural position when they fill in at small forward.
This leaves Jackson as the only true wing on the roster, and this usually leaves us with a headache. While Jackson struggles at times on both ends of the floor, he averages just seven points in 21 minutes per game, JJ has turned things around over the last three games, providing big shots and solid play when the Kings have needed it the most.
Jackson Wakes Up Against Golden State
The team had hoped to get back on track after losing six of nine when they hosted the defending champion Golden State Warriors last Friday. Jackson had a career game as he finished with 28 points, making 10 of his 14 shots. His hot hand contributed to the Kings setting a franchise record for three-pointers in a game, as well as combining with the Warriors for the most total three-pointers in a game in NBA history.
Jackson’s Solid Outing Against Orlando
While Jackson cannot be counted on to score 28 points every game, he did continue with his hot hand as the Kings got back to their winning ways against the Orlando Magic. JJ finished with 11 points, eight of them coming in the first half when the Kings were still battling for points. He finished with a +/- of +28.
Jackson Gets Hot In Phoenix
Tuesday’s heartbreaker in Phoenix featured another solid outing by Jackson, despite his rollercoaster second half.
Jackson entered the game in the first quarter with the Kings trailing by six, trying to find their footing on the second of a back-to-back. Jackson hit three triples over the span of a quarter and helped put the Kings in position to extend their lead to 21 points. When the Kings went to the locker room at halftime, Jackson had a +/- of +25 for the first half.
When the Kings struggled out of the gate in the second half, Jackson came in and provided the hustle plays that temporarily kept Phoenix at bay. He had multiple possessions of lockdown defense in the third quarter to go along with his hustle rebounds and assists. On one possession, with the Kings up by just two, Jackson got his hands on a huge offensive rebound and found Kosta Koufos who put in a runner to extend the Sacramento lead.
That lead was relinquished in the fourth quarter as the Kings began turning the ball over at an alarming rate. Jackson was having mixed results in crunch time. With the Suns up by three with under nine minutes to go, JJ sank two clutch free throws that put the Kings in position to capitalize.
He remained in the game throughout crunch time but did not get any looks when it mattered most as the Kings went with De’Aaron Fox down the stretch. Sacramento could not finish the job and blew a 21-point lead in their worst loss of the season.
Final Thoughts
As for Justin Jackson, he will try to continue his hot start to 2019 as the Kings return home for a handful of winnable games. His future and playing time are on the line with nearly every performance. With Iman Shumpert being nagged by an injury, there is no better time than now for Jackson to make a name for himself. He is averaging 17 points per game over the last three contests.
The Kings will undoubtedly need an upgrade at small forward before the start of next season, but Justin Jackson could perhaps make a serviceable backup in 2020 and beyond.